I want to explore with you why is it traditionally accepted that we should drink white wines cold from the fridge and reds at room temperature?
When it comes to white wine our fridges are simply too cold. They’re usually set around 3 or 4 degrees celsius which is great for keeping food fresh, but you should not generally serve a wine below around 5C, says Central Queensland University’ Alex Russell.
I agree. It’s obvious to say if you drink white wine straight out of the fridge it will be too cold to maximise the varietal flavours of the wine. All you’re going to get is acidity. That said, a light white wine, such as sauvignon blanc, is best served around 6C to 8C.
Rieslings need to be a bit warmer — around 8C or 10C. This is partly because they have more interesting delicate flavours. At lower temperatures, that mouthfeel starts to disappear. Never pop a couple of ice cubes in the wine You will water it down and minimise the palate finish.
Sweeter wines, such as dessert wines, have a thicker texture that is best suited to a slightly higher temperature of around 10C or 12C. Chardonnay, should be served warmer still — at around 12C or 13C. This means taking it out of the fridge and letting it stand to lose the outer chill factor of the bottle. This is of course if you want to maximise the mouth feel of fruit and flavour of the wine style.
This sounds really warm for a white wine doesn’t it, but the warmer the temperature more flavour will be released.
To maintain a glass of white wine at its optimal drinking temperature especially in summer, is to always hold a glass of white by the stem.
Another tip is to pour small glasses, since it takes longer to drink a big glass, making it harder to control the wine’s temperature.
Should you put reds in the fridge (for a few minutes?). Even though red wines get their colour from grape skins and go through different wine making techniques — so imparting different flavours — they have plenty in common with white wines.
There’s a lot of sensory overlap.
So for very light reds like beaujolais, you’re looking at the same temperature range as chardonnay — 12C or 13C. That’s quite a decent chill for a red. Half an hour in the fridge will get you there.
Try chilling lighter reds for a few minutes to see if you can taste their subtler flavours. Something like a pinot noir should be enjoyed at around 14C or 16C. No fridge time for these Central Otago beauties!
So what about full-bodied reds like shiraz and cabernet? Surely they’re best at room temperature?
Not necessarily so!
In modern-day Australia for instance, “room temperature” is closer to 22C. These warmer climates dominant fruity flavour molecules and alcohol drowns out the more subtle, nuanced flavours in the wine.
You get this big whack of flavour, when the wine is designed to be a bit more subtle — a little more elegant. Take a whiff of a warm red and you’ll cop a lot of alcohol and jammy smells. Of course though, you might have developed a taste for that big flavour hit and actually prefer it We have been drinking shirazes and cabernets at 22C all our lives anyway, so we’re kind of used to it.
To chill wine quickly, there are drastic steps you can take, but they tend to change the wine’s flavour.
You could pop the bottle in the freezer for 10 minutes? But don’t forget about it. An ice bucket, esky or ice in the kitchen sink will chill wine quickly. But beware because subzero temperatures sometimes can absolutely ruin the taste of the wine. Why buy wine and then set about killing off the delicate flavours?
My preferred quick-chill method is a bottle cooler stick.
I simply put the wine chill stick into the freezer until it is frozen. Then place it into the bottle and leave it there for a few minutes allowing the wine to cool to my preferred temperature.
There are many types available including versions where you can leave the stick inserted and pour direct to the glass. Some sticks even have a thermoneter attached to the end. They are quite in expensive – under A$20.
Finally, I decant all young bottles of red so all the flavours are released. Monitor carefully when decanting old wines of 5 years plus (The art of decanting is a delicate exercise which I will touch on in a separate Post soon).
Go with what works for you.
I have an experiment for you. Pour half a bottle of wine into a clean bottle or container and put it in the fridge and keep the other half out. Then taste the chilled and warm wines side by side and you’ll see just how much of a difference it makes to the flavours and mouthfeel.
Now you will appreciate how important temperature is to enjoying wine.
